Submitted by Catherine from Lexington Park!
Anyone who loves Good Night Moon, will want to check out The Napping House by Audrey Wood, and illustrated by Don Wood. This book, about a house where everyone from Granny down to the mouse sleeps in the same bed on a rainy afternoon, will have kids smiling as they look for the little animals on each page, and laughing as the “wakeful flea” sends the napping house into an uproar. The exaggerated drawings capture the silly feel of the book. And the colors – either soft or bright, show the feelings of the characters perfectly. This simple story with wonderful illustrations will be a favorite for parents and kids to read together.
Bedtime
Blueberry Girl
Although Mother’s Day has passed, and Father’s Day is still a fair ways away, I couldn’t resist blogging about Blueberry Girl, the newest book by the fabulous Neil Gaiman, beautifully illustrated by Charles Vess, which is ideal to share with a special daughter. It’s a poem Gaiman wrote for his friend musician Tori Amos, when she was pregnant with her daughter. It’s a prayer to the powers that be to bless a baby girl as she grows in the world. To save her from nightmares at three, bad husbands at thirty, from dull days at forty, false friends at fifteen. “Her joys must be high as her sorrows are deep,” Gaiman writes — a lovely sentiment for every “blueberry girl.”
How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?
If bed time is a big struggle in your house, consider reading How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague. Yolen and Teague are the creators of the wonderful “How Do Dinosaurs” series of books, demonstrating appropriate versus inappropriate behavior in a variety of venues. In this installment, they treat us to possible answers to the titular question: Does a dinosaur pout when its time to go to bed? Do they stomp their feet and throw toys around the room? Do they moan and sulk and sigh and cry? They most certainly do not! Dinosaurs, as it turns out, have impeccable manners. When it’s time to turn out the lights, dinosaurs give a hug and kiss to mom and dad and say “good night!”
Diary of a Wombat
Australia is a fantastic place filled with many creatures unfamiliar to us: Kangaroos, Koalas, and an adorable burrowing marsupial called a Wombat–the subject of Jackie French’s Diary of a Wombat, illustrated by Bruce Whatley. It’s told in true diary form, the wombat treating us to her day to day routine consisting mostly of eating, sleeping, and scratching. But one day she discovers she has new neighbors–humans! And these humans have delicious carrots, for which she will do most anything for! This is a very cute book you’re sure to enjoy.
Good Night Gorilla
Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann is a cautionary tale for unobservant zookeepers. In it, a very tired zookeeper is doing his nightly rounds, saying “good night” to all of the animals, beginning with Gorilla, who deftly snatches the keys from his belt and begins setting his fellow animals free. The zookeeper heads home to go to bed, unwittingly followed by the entire menagerie. This is unacceptable to the zookeeper’s wife, who sends all the animals back to their pens. “Good night zoo,” she says, but that crafty Gorilla has a surprise for her. This charming story, told mostly through illustrations, is a true treat.
Wonder Bear
Wonder Bear is a breathtaking fantasy told all in pictures. Folks generally tend to underestimate the power of wordless books. Stories without words allow children to narrate their own story, and form their own opinions about what’s happening in the pictures. This particular book is the creation of Tao Nyeu, a recent art school graduate. Wonder Bear was her thesis project, inspired, she claims, by an “odd-looking gummy bear with magical powers.” No doubt that particular piece of candy was delicious, because this book is certainly a sight worth devouring. Two children tend their garden, in which an amazing flower grows, home to a festive bear, and a troop of acrobatic monkeys! Join them as they sail, snack, swim, and sleep, in this fabulous fairy tale for all ages.